Another Chance At Hope
by BlueSpiritFire1
Summary: Post Predacons Rising, Megatron POV. Internal musings are unexpectedly interrupted by a second chance.


**Set after the Predacons Rising film.**

So, this is something very old - like 4 years old - that came about to set up some backstory for a friend and I who were RPing TF:P at the time. I've since stopped RPing, but I figured that if, after all this time, I'm still quite fond of this, I may as well pluck up the guts to post it. To be clear - this isn't part of our RP. It's all my own writing here. Since the RP involved these characters, I felt like actually writing a scene that cemented the set-up.

The song is actually just one I found today and was listening to while I was re-reading and debating whether to post this or not, but it really suited.

 _ **"This means words being remembered."**_

 _'This is thinking.'_

 **"This is Comm. Link chatter."**

* * *

 **Name:** Another Chance At Hope  
 **Song:** Izzy OST from TF: The Last Knight

* * *

" _ **Enough! The Decepticons are no more, and that is final."**_

The words still echoed in his processor, bouncing around like they'd been shouted into a canyon.

Had he really just done that?

Had he really just disbanded the established faction he'd worked to bring to the top?

 _Had he seriously abolished the Decepticons?_

Yes. He had.

Megatron knew that if he ever even entertained the idea of reforming such a tyrannical group he would only need to remind himself of the pain; that dreadful agonising pain brought on by Unicron the Destroyer. The thought of it, still so fresh in his mind and systems made his tanks churn. How many had suffered like that because of _him_? Death would have been a welcome end to the torture. In hindsight, he would have been glad to rust at the bottom of that ocean. Curse his own foolishness and thirst for power. Curse his maddening addiction to Dark Energon. Curse his idiocy for forever merging the dark substance with his spark. He nearly snorted.

" _ **Wait! Lord Megatron! No! Not your spark chamber! You do not know what it will do!"**_

Who could have guessed it; Starscream had been _right_. Right to be afraid and cautious. And yet, the little Seeker had eventually followed the path he'd pioneered, right into damnation. Maybe Starscream would not suffer such adverse side effects? He had never really taken to the dark stuff, nor it to him.

Starscream…He wondered about that mech sometimes, but now with his wake up call to brutality and tyranny, Megatron dwelled upon the topic of the traitorous S.I.C. more than ever. How much _damage_ had he caused to that mind? How many times had he beaten and broken Starscream, until inevitably he became as malicious and cunning as his ' _Master_ '? The thought made him ill.

He flew blindly through the Cybertronian night, barely keeping track of where he was going. With his mind and body free of Unicron's sentient control he was free to feel out the new form he'd been given.

He did not particularly like it. He missed his former alt mode especially. The arrow-like shape of this new form changed the way he flew and though any grounder might think he was flying fine, any aerialist would know instantly that he was ungainly and inexperienced. At least he had been able to 'hitch a ride' when Unicron was steering him around and pick up a lesson or two. Everything felt unfamiliar and alien. But, there was no going back. He would have to learn to adapt to this new, bigger, _pointier_ form.

' _If Optimus can learn to fly, then I can master this new body.'_

It was an odd thought, but it motivated him well enough. Optimus…

" _ **I now know the true meaning of oppression, and have thus lost my taste for inflicting it."**_

That look in the Autobot leader's face. The stern guarded frown dissolving into disbelief.

 _'You really didn't expect me to ever let go, did you, Orion? Neither did I.'_

And that was it.

Their seemingly endless struggle had finally come to a close, and not because one slew the other, but because the unstoppable force was not quite so unstoppable, and the immovable object had remained steadfast. If it had happened any other way, Megatron knew he would have felt some sort of resentment and a resurgence of bitterness.

But it hadn't, and he did not. This way, they both survived another day. They both went their separate ways, and Megatron vowed that he would not cross Optimus' path again if he could help it. They had had enough of each other to last lifetimes. Millennia of trying to extinguish the other was enough for any being. And yet, Optimus had never really tried to end him. He was always trying to reach out. In one hand there would be a weapon, but the other had always been outstretched toward him in a final hope that he would take it and try and redeem himself. In the end, it took a murderous god to make him see the light of his actions.

The sunlight lifted across the land, illuminating the rejuvenated world below. Something inside him ached. He didn't have the chance to actually realise it before, but now he could see clearly that Cybertron had been restored. And it suddenly didn't _matter_ that it was not by his hand. Nostalgia slammed into him full force. _Home._ They were finally home. No more scouring of the universe for a new Energon supply. There was finally a place he could call home again.

He didn't deserve it. He'd ripped his home apart through war and spilled rivers of Energon. His conflict had broken their home. He shouldn't be one of those who got to bask in its reborn glory. He was Cybertron's black sheep.

Something suddenly flitted past his right wing. A tiny lime green streak of light. It was followed by a pearly white one and a rich red light. Every so often, an odd light would shoot past him and into the distance. Then he noticed the change in the atmosphere. Cybertron had previously felt 'alive' but not filled with life. That was gone. The whole world seemed like it was jumping with life. A bright pink light whizzed past him, spinning and corkscrewing in the air before rocketing off. Then it occurred to him.

 _Sparks._ He was surrounded by new sparks, zipping around the planet to repopulate its surface. Not only had Optimus restored life to the planet, but he had restarted the Well of Allsparks. Megatron had known that Orion was destined for great things from the moment that young Iacon clerk had stepped up to the council. No matter how vehemently and furiously he had denied it, part of him grudgingly and privately acknowledged it.

Upon the horizon a strange sort of natural landmark caught his attention. As he approached from the air he realised it to be a massive, sprawling labyrinth. Oh yes, that would suit perfectly. Should any vengeful Autobots or loyal Decepticons come looking for him, they would never be able to find him in that maze, even if they scoured the place from above.

Megatron hovered over one of the high-walled scraggly pathways before transforming mid air and dropping to his feet with a heavy clang.

Now everything felt even _more_ alien. His shoulders felt heavier, there were spikes where there hadn't been, extra plates and that weird mottled texture on his shoulders, arms, torso, legs and helm. Yes indeed, this confusing maze would be ideal for his solitude. He deserved no less that to be alone in some forgotten natural habitat, left to turn to dust over the ages.

* * *

It had been several long, heavy hours of uneventful, depressing and contemplative solitude. Recharge eluded him, as did hunger. All he did was walk, or rather, amble down the endlessly twisting halls. Many times he would look up and see a spark flying overhead.

His thoughts had currently progressed to 'Worst Choices'. He could name a few, namely letting Arachnid have anything to do with running _anything_. _'I wonder what happened to her...'_ he mused absently. Upon touching on the thought of former Lieutenants, one in particular came to mind, and brought regret with them.

Dreadwing. The mech and his twin had both been loyal to a fault. That he had valued scheming over obedience enough to terminate Dreadwing - who had only strayed from his orders to avenge his brother's defiled honour and peace - caused the old mech to unwittingly bare his teeth in a snarl. Skyquake's demise was a shame that he played no part in, but Dreadwing…Dreadwing was a whole different story.

Megatron's self-loathing was interrupted by a high pitched scream. It jolted him into a state of awareness and jarred his audials.

 _'Sweet ever-loving Primus! What is that noise!?'_

Another cry came, this time punctuated by hiccups. Megatron frowned, trying to place such a strange noise when it came again, this time a chorus of two differently pitched squawks.

It took a second for it to click, but when it did, he was off running. Corner after corner he rounded, never straying far from the source, and still no sign of the noise makers. He growled out foul curses before deciding to take to the sky. He transformed and hovered up in place, slowly rising over the structure. It was only when he rose above the maze that he found the source of the cries.

"Un-fragging-believable." He blurted.

Sitting on the top of the wall, clinging onto each other and screaming as much as their little vocals could manage, were two sparklings. He had two immediate questions. How did they get up here, and _why_ were they here at all? He transformed, walking along the wall toward them. They were absolutely tiny, newborns at best. They looked identical too.

"Twins?" he mumbled.

He crouched down hesitantly. What was he going to do with them? He was startled to find that the closer he got, the calmer they were. They didn't actually _like_ him…did they? _'They can't be left up here.'_ Instinct acted over logic and Megatron gingerly reached out and scooped up the two sparklings, a sense of awe overcoming him as he realised that they could both fit in one hand. The slightly darker one squealed, opening its tiny mouth before curling up with its sibling. The crying had ceased entirely, replaced with soft whimpers.

Bewildered, Megatron sat on the wall, legs hanging over the edge, and simply watched them for several minutes as they made little movements and noises. After a while he cupped his other hand over them and held them close to his chassis, dropping off the wall and almost free-falling down to the ground. When he landed heavily on his pedes and jerked forward, he swiftly checked on the sparklings to see if they had been damaged at all. They were fine, but he was out of his league. _Way_ out of his league. He couldn't take care of _sparklings_! He couldn't care for something so fragile and tiny. All he could remember was killing and violence. They were only in danger around him.

But…he couldn't just dump them to fend for themselves either. Megatron was not ashamed to privately acknowledge the fact that sparklings had the ability to make him view something as 'cute'. He'd never _ever_ met a mech that couldn't be moved by the young Cybertronians, with their large optics and little endearing squeaks.

Megatron began to pace, the steady rhythm of his pedesteps lulling the sparklings into recharge in his hand. What to do? He genuinely was at a loss for ideas. There was no-one he could turn to for aid; Shockwave's fate was unknown, but rather bleak, from what damage he'd witnessed the Terrorcons inflict upon the cycloptic mech. Soundwave…well, Soundwave was gone - vanished into thin air. There hadn't been a peep from the spy and not even an inkling of an attempt to reach out to Megatron. The large mech could only deduce that some foul fate had befallen the steadfast mute, even though he hoped that Soundwave was alright. Starscream was completely stricken from the options; thus leaving but one alternative. It was viable. He was alive and, from last Megatron had seen, in good keeping with the Autobots. Apparently, Knockout was the only one who had fared remotely well through all the mayhem.

Megatron stopped pacing and gave a short, heavy sigh. There was only one thing left to do. Comm the former Deception and ask for his… _help_.

Asking for help. There was something new.

He ground his denta silently, scowling. _'Just do it! Hurry up and get it over with!'_ part of him screamed. He listened to it, and hesitantly opened up a link he hadn't used in so long; he wondered why it was even registered. But he was thankful that it was. There was an excruciatingly long amount of time before the other end answered. The voice was small, confused and clearly worried.

 **"Lor-uh…Megatron?"** Megatron felt was some alien sense of relief that the doctor had eliminated the title in his address. "Knockout…I realise this is… _awkward_ , in the least, however I have come across an issue that requires some degree of medical finesse." For a moment there was no reply. **"Pardon that, I wasn't exactly in a private area. Go on."** Megatron looked down at the dozing twins. "I seem to have stumbled upon a pair of sparklings. I'm sure you understand the issue." **"Ah... _ah_ …"**

The medic fell oddly silent in a solemn sort of way. **"Where are you? I can make an excuse to come and collect them. We're setting up a nursery for the influx right now, actually. They're showing up remarkably quickly."** "I'm in some sort of natural labyrinth. East of the Well, I believe." **"Alright. I'll head out soon. Oh, and try to keep them close by."** Megatron snorted quietly. " _That_ is not an issue."

* * *

Megatron prowled at the eastern entrance of the maze for the better latter half of the day, hidden in the folds of the walls, scanning for the red mech, or any of his new Autobot compatriots. He would not be surprised if Knockout had been caught and pressured into informing them why he was slipping away. He scowled, catching himself still thinking in the way of factions. That was over; FINISHED.

Megatron was wrenched out of his thoughts by the honk of an earth vehicle. Looking up, he spotted the glossy red sports car thundering over the metal land instantly; and he was the only thing moving. Knockout slowed his pace noticeably upon approach, rolling to a crawl and sidling up to Megatron. Suddenly, the boot popped open.

"What's this?" Megatron queried, catching sight of the unmistakable blue glow of Energon.

"It would be nice if I could transform and _explain it_. There's a bit to catch you up on. I grabbed a cube of high grade. You're going to need it."

Megatron warily removed the cubes, one at a time with his empty servo, skeptical at what could have changed so dramatically in the course of barely one solar cycle. When that was done, Knockout transformed immediately.

"Sparklings first."

"By all means, take them. I have no idea what they were doing on that wall in the first place." He muttered, extending his servo to the mech.

Knockout gingerly plucked up one, startled when it started bawling from complete silence. "Oh hush." He mumbled, inspecting the first, lighter coloured one thoroughly. With a mild hum he set it back on Megatron's palm and scanned the second in the same fashion. "Well, they're twins, but I'm sure that's obvious. From the looks, they're going to grow to be fliers. Newborn - also obvious - but healthy. I'll warn you now, they will put up a fuss when we leave you behind." Knockout almost snickered. "They seem to have imprinted you as their carrier."

"W-What!?"

The medic rubbed his temples. "You have no idea how many sparklings see Arcee and Smokescreen as parents. They've been put on sparkling duty." He added before going on. "In all honesty, it would be detrimental to their growth to take them away from you."

"Knockout," Megatron growled, " _I am not a carrier_."

" _I_ know that! They don't." The doctor said defensively.

"That's not the point!"

Knockout smirked, something that he previously would never have dared to do. "I can tell you right now that you found them for a reason. Take care of them. Prove that you've changed."

Megatron's scowl faded. "Prove to who? In case it has escaped your notice, I am - _suitably_ \- alone." He added.

Knockout's face fell. "Prove it to Optimus. I'm sure that's why _they_ are with you."

Megatron's frown returned. "What are you talking about? If you haven't _said_ anything, he should remain oblivious to what happens with me."

Knockout chuckled, but it was tired, and his voice was solemn and dull.

"…Optimus Prime...sacrificed his spark to restart the Well of Allsparks. He is one with Primus."

Shock slowly manifested in Megatron's circuits. He blinked, tried to form words, but it was like his vocabulary was erased. His arm fell, Knockout acting fast enough to snatch the sparklings before he dropped them from his mammoth height. He walked away in a daze.

This wasn't right. It wasn't meant to be like this; at least, if one of them had to live, Optimus deserved it more than any mech. He _deserved_ to see Cybertron revived.

"Why?" Megatron managed out.

Knockout shook his head. "The Reliquary…that held the Allspark…It was emptied to contain Unicron…The only other place that could house the Allspark was the Matrix of Leadership. There was no other way to revive the Well but for him to become one."

"So he died, and I lived?! That wasn't how it was meant to be! He wasn't meant to _die_ for me!" Megatron shouted, slamming the towering wall with his fist in a fit of rage.

Knockout flinched at the sound of the harsh echo and the sparklings whimpered in fear, but he straightened his posture. "You are one of the few who knew him best. I'm surprised you still can't tell that he was prepared to save you, even at that cost. He knew something would have to give and he was ready. These two are a test, from him. You know it. This is a chance to prove to him that you'll make the most out of this second life. Don't dwell on it, Megatron. Look forward. Live and raise these two. Honestly, I can't afford to have another depressed mech on my hands." He added in a mild joking manner.

Megatron tilted his head, curious, before figuring it out for himself.

"Ratchet…?"

Knockout's heavy sigh confirmed it.

"Really, I can't be here for too much longer. He sits in his room all day…muttering…shouting at Primus, cursing you. I've got to log the sparklings, measure out the Energon for each one, dilute the formulas en-masse, be a grief counsellor; it's a _nightmare_."

Megatron took a moment to seriously observe the mech. His finish was dull, a stain or two smattered his front. His optics were dimmed, shoulders drooped in fatigue. His tyres looked a bit flat, too.

"…You're startlingly mature right now." Megatron mused.

Knockout laughed. "I surprise even myself!"

After a deep breath, Megatron approached and reached out for the newborns.

"I will… _try_ to take care of them."

Knockout grinned. "That's the spirit! Comm if you need advice, but I won't be able to drive out here for a fair while." Knockout handed them back to the former warlord and they gave several loud purrs of content.

"I have one other question."

"Yes?"

"What has happened to my lieutenants?"

"Shockwave, Soundwave and Starscream? Well…Their fates are varying, from what I know. Soundwave is trapped in an alternate dimension, to my dismay. We could use his expertise."

"That explains why he has dropped off the radar entirely." Megatron mumbled, not at all happy with the status of his most loyal follower.

"I do not know about Shockwave. As for Starscream…He was last seen headed toward Darkmount. Which…also happens to be where the Predacons were heading." Knockout trailed off, wincing. "Steer well clear of that place. They have claimed it as their own and Predaking will not hesitate to end you."

"You needn't tell me-"

Megatron was interrupted as Knockout held up one hand.

"Reading you Bumblebee. What?! No! You don't…Urggh. I'll be back soon. Don't TOUCH ANYTHING. I swear if you let Wheeljack near the lab again _you're_ cleaning it up!"

Knockout ended the commlink he'd apparently received with a groan. "I know Deceptions had all the good tech, but do they have to be _so_ clueless?! The least they can do is leave the equipment alone! Apologies, Megatron, but idiocy beckons." Knockout shrugged, turning to leave.

"Wait! How much do I feed them!?" Megatron called out quickly. The medic paused. "I would suggest chipping off a piece and partially chewing it so they can eat better. They don't need much; tip of your finger each. You know…they remind me of another set of twins. I'm sure it's just me though." He added cryptically before tipping his head in farewell and transforming as he jogged and zipping away, back across the flat open expanse.

Megatron let himself think. The medic was so different now. He was shouldering more burden than Megatron could remember, and he wasn't bemoaning his responsibility nearly as much as expected.

Ratchet's depression was something Megatron was not surprised at. The elderly mech had viewed Optimus as something of a son.

But Optimus…That was by far the biggest blow. Optimus was meant to live. Megatron had expected him to lead the Autobots into a new age of peace, or at least of rebuilding. Apparently the weight of that duty had fallen equally among the remaining members of Team Prime.

Megatron looked down and the two sparklings in his servos. They were making very small mewling noises to each other, communicating in a way he couldn't understand. "…Did you really send them to me on purpose?"

" _ **They remind me of another set of twins."**_

Megatron frowned. What did Knockout mean? He was sure the other mech had been implying something with his words but he couldn't grasp it.

* * *

Knockout sped off, back to the new Autobot HQ.

Really, it wasn't so much of a headquarters as a small citadel. There was a large main building with a roomy medical ward and lab offset from that. It was where he spent most of his time. The nursery was in its own separate building. Most of the place was being used to house Vehicons and co-ordinate the rebuilding of Cybertron. There were a few landing pads not far off, but so far there had been no returning Cybertronians. Knockout - and the others - had no doubt that they would return, in time. All they had to do was spread the news that Cybertron was back online. But the returning Decepticons would find quite a shock.

That was the other task handed to Knockout; debrief the Decepticons; tell them that they were divided no more. He already knew that there would be some who would be averse to this change; the die-hard loyalists. They would try to find Megatron; try to reorganize. And now that he knew where their former master was hiding, it was up to him to dissuade them, before they went snooping.

He dryly snorted to himself, flattening tyres thundering across the smooth metal ground.

At least there were two loyalists he didn't have to worry about.

Knockout knew pretty much every Decepticon's medical history, and CNA. He recognized those twins in a sparkbeat. There was no doubt; Optimus had some part to play in that fateful reunion. But it was also doubtless that their dauntless loyalty had guided the reborn twins to their former master.

 _'Dreadwing and Skyquake…I guess there is some hope after all…'_

Hope for reuniting with lost comrades, with old friends and former partners.

* * *

 **I'll be the first to admit, writing Megatron...is not something I think I do fantastically. Throwing myself into his usual mindset is not something that appeals to me, so I generally steer clear of his usual brutal self and as such, he's probably quite OOC here.**

 **Post TFP Megatron though? Sign me the HELL up. I was so, so proud of him. I know it came late - his order to disband - but I am still, so many years later, unable to quell the pride I have for that moment.**

 **Transformers Prime was, and will always be, incredibly dear to my heart.**


End file.
